Input seal soaked my clutch

[Dan D]

To my dismay, the input shaft seal on my relatively fresh transmission rebuild took a dump. The rebuilder (not saying who, but it was one of the three main DSM tranny shops) is taking it back under warranty to diagnose what caused the seal to fail and get me back in running condition.

My dilemma is this – my clutch is soaked. The tranny and clutch have 1200 miles on them. It’s a CFDF and I’ve been really happy with it so far and don’t want to switch to a different clutch and centerforce doesn’t sell the disk by itself. The way I see it, I have a few choices:

1. Install a new CFDF assembly. Two big downsides – cost and the 500 mile break-in at no boost (that’s 6 months worth of driving for me).
2. Install an ACT street disk using the CFDF PP – I don’t know how well this works. Anyone tried it?
3. Risk cleaning the CFDF disk and reinstalling it – I don’t think this is a good idea unless someone knows of a foolproof way to do this

I’m looking for advice, experience, and any what would you do if it was yours comments.

 

[Muskrat]

Step 1) CALL Centerforce and explain the situation. If they're a good company they'll work with you. If the grunt on the phone can't help, work up the chain of command.

Step 2) Contact the re-builder and tell them their botched job ruined your clutch as well, and you'd like them to cover a new one as well. Be polite, but firm. They've admitted fault by honoring the warranty.

 

[mitsuturbo]

Step 2 sounds nice, but most warranties expressly state that the company not be held liable for incidental or consequential damage due to their failed part.

I'd think centerforce would sell you a clutch disc if you really need them to. I'd think they would rather do that than lose a customer outright.

 

[Muskrat]

^ True, but a good company will rectify the situation. The relative cost is low, and it makes a happy customer. Otherwise it's potential for bad publicity (guy get's on forum saying such and such screwed up my rebuild, cost me $x in damage, blah blah. I'm going to X next time)

 

[curtis]

Call up centerforce they'll sell you a disk if you explain the situation. Your not the first or last this has happened to.

I really bet if you soak it down with auto zone brake parts cleaner (not advance or cfc but auto zone brand) it will come clean. I really think its more surface than anything else and will wash or soak out of the material. The organic side may take longer than the sintered side but should come clean.

Click me this stuff leaves no residue and you can paint 2 minutes after you use it.

 

[number3]

This happend to me 12 years ago and centerforce sold me a new disk after I explained to them what happened. I even offered to send the old one back and they declined.

 

[Dan D]

That's good to hear. Thanks Harry. I'll give them a call on Monday and see what they say. I've ruled out trying any cleaning method. Pull the tranny's not hard, but it takes time which I seem to have precious little of. I'm already irritated that I had to pull things back apart again. I really don't want to do it a third time.

 

[number3]

That was a long time ago and a different time. 1997-98 now that I really think about it but they should play ball. Hell they were really the only one in the game at the time.

 

[thecman02]

You can always get a south bend clutch dual friction disk too if for some reason you just can't get a Centerforce one.

 

[curtis]

I've ran dfcf disks with other p plates but not the other way around because of the centrifugal weights attached to the fingers not sure how this would work but would probably be fine.

 

[Dan D]

Here is what Centerforce offered:

I send them the whole assembly back; PP and disc. They will check the conditon of the PP surface and the pressure curve. Then they will re-surface the pressure plate and reline the disc with new friction material of the correct thickness to match any PP wear.

For $120 + shipping.

That seems like a deal to me since most replacement discs are $115-$200 and I get a like new condition clutch assembly out of it. Sucks that it happened, but big props to Centerforce for taking care of me and offering a good option.

 

[curtis]

Sweet

 

[Terry Posten]

That was what Clutchnet did for me when I had my car apart last time. The unit had about 1000 miles on it and I wanted sme piece of mind when putting everything back together again.